Insulator connecter



I Sept. 29, 193.1. v G. M. BARROW 1,824,767

INSULATOR CONNECTER Filed April 9; 1927 WITNESS S: INVENTOR M George M Bar/0W A'TToRNEY Patented Sept. 29, 1931 .umrau STATES PATENT OFFICE GEORGE II. B naow, or DERBY, PENNSYLVANIA, AssIe on TO WESTINGHOUSE ELECTRIC & MANUFACTURING COMPANY, A CORPORATION or PENNSYLVANIA INSULATOR CONNEGTER Application flied April 9,

My invention relates to insulator connecters and particularly to connecters for insulators of the link type.

One object of my invention is to provide a connecter of the above-indicated character that shall uniformly distribute the load forces thereof relative to an insulator for which it is adapted.

Another object of my invention is to provide a link insulator connecter that shall permit the combined insulator and connecter structure to be of reduced total length.

Another object of my invention is to provide a multi-turn endless connecter element,

for link insulators, that shall comprise novel reinforcing or seatin means at its terminals and have its severa turns effectively held together.

A further object of my invention is to provide a link-insulator connecter that shall be simple and durable in construction, effective in its operation and economical to manufacture.

In insulators of the link type, considerable 2'5 difiiculty has been experienced in providing adequate connecting means therefor and certain objections have arisen, as a result of these difliculties. For instance, by reason of the relatively short horse-shoe or C-shape of the link portions of the connecter and the desirability of keeping the insulator units relatively close to each other, difliculty has occurred in providing small strong terminalattaching means for the links.

Terminal-attaching means have been suggested that are excessively large in proportion to the insulators, thus reducing the insulating character of the structure by an excess of metal.

40' Also, by reason of the curved interlinked openings in the insulators, single-strand links, which concentrate the load,.serve to fracture the insulators under loads below the ability of the insulating material to withstand. Difliculty has also arisen in providing links and terminal-attaching means therefor that facilitate the handling and mounting thereof.

It is my aim to provide a link-insulator connecter that overcomes the above-men 1927. Serial No. 182,208.

tioned difficulties and objections and is an improvement over similar connectors heretofore employed or proposed.

Accordingly, in practicing my invention, I provide a multi-turn or filamentary endless link element in which the turns are so distributed, held together and reinforced as to overcome the objections and render the insulator and connecter structure shorter, more economical and more effective than prior connecters of this general type.

Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings is aside view, partially in elevation and partially in section, of a plurality of link insulators that are attached to each other and provided with end terminals by connecters embodying my invention, and

Fig. 2 is an elevational View, taken at right angles to Fig. 1, the link insulators being re moved and portions of one of the connecters being broken away for clearness.

The device comprises, in general, link insulators 2 and 3, end-terminal or connecter structures 4 and 5 and an intermediate connecter structure 6.

The insulators 2 and 3, which are of a usual and well-known type and, therefore, require no detailed description, comprise interlinked openings 8 and 9 having uniform cylindrical seat portions 10. The latter feature is slightly different from the laterally curved seats of the usual link insulator which are adapted to receive single-strand round links.

The end-connecter elements 4 and 5 are similar, in that each comprises a channel member 12 that extends transversely to the insulator axis,'but differ, in that the member 4 has a clevis portion 14 and the member 5 has an eye portion 15. I

The elements 4 and 5 further comprise endless-link elements 17 that are disposed in the openings 9 and 8, respectively, of their respective insulators.

Each link element 17 is provided with enlarged or apertured loop ends 18 that are disposed in the channel member '12 and are secured in position by bolts 20 and cotter pins 21.

7 Each link element17 comprises a plurality of helically-wound turns 22 of filamentary material, such as wire, constructed in the form of a strap to fit a relatively great areaof the cylindrical seat 9 or the seat 8 and to thereby more uniformly distribute load forces between the connecter and the insulator than a single-strand link of round crosssectional area. 7, .4 The turns 22 are initially helically wound in the form of a fiat-strap endless element or ring and then bent to have portions 24"'clis-' .posed in adjacentside-by-side'relation and portions diverging therefrom and merging,

together again to form the loop ends 18."

The small ends of theindividualfilament or wire of which the endless element is con- 7 structed are secured in position by welding to 1 treatments may further be combined in various combinations. 7

Tubular metal cylinders or sleeves 27 are provided in the loop ends 180i the endless element 17 to reinforce the ends and to pro-V vide seats for the bolts 20. The sleeves may seat under opposite tension onthe legs of the C-shaped portion."

3. In combination, a link insulator having a seat, and a connector linking the insulator comprising a wire-element in the form of a multi-layer strap having a broad side on, and" conforming to, a portion of said seat and loop ends at the same side of the insulator each embodying a portion ofone' of said layers return bent into another layer.

i; In combination, a linkinsulator having a seat, and aconnecter linking the insulator on said seat comprising a helically-wound wire element in the form of a multi-layer strap having a broad side conforming to a portion of saidsealt-andloop ends at the same sideioi the insulator eachfembodying' a portion of one of said layer'sreturn bent into another layen I s I In tesfimony ereof, I have hereunto sub scribediny namethis 4th day of April, 1927..

i enoaen M. BARROW.

be welded. or otherwise permanently secured -1n'pos1t1on. r

The intermediate connecter structure'6zis constructed similarly to the end conne'cters 4i and 5 and may comprise one endless-link element 17, as shown, having onlyatwo adjacent free loop ends18. Otherwise, two endless elements, similar to the elements 17 of the end connecters 4 and 5 and having two pairs vof such ends between the insulators2 and 3, may

be employed.

In either case, these ends may be connected,

as by links 29, bolts 80' and cotter pins 32 or by. other suitable means. I

'l/Vhile I have shown and described a particular form of my invention, changes may be eiiected therein without departingv fromthe spirit and scope'thereof, as indicated by theappended claims. 7

- ;I claim as my invention:

71. A connecter comprising an element con- V structed of wound wire in the form of an endless strap-like band folded to provide a single strap having a plurality of strap-like layersinadjacent registering broad-side re- 1 lation merging into a closed-loop portion, I connecting said sections and means for'hold ing the wire turns in saidrelation. I

2. In combination, a link insulatorshav ing a seat, and a co-nnecter having a portion of substantially C-shape embodying. a wire section in the form'of a strap'of substantial width compared to its thickness linking the. insulator with'its broadside on the seat'to' assume a shape closely conformingto the 

